Machine for casting stereotype plates having a mold adapted to be pressed against the outlet opening of the pot



Aug. 21, 1928. 1,681,872

. E. MULLER MACHINE FOR CASTING STEREOTYPE PLATES HAVING A MOLD ADAPTED TO BE PRESSED AGAINST THE OUTLET OPENING OF THE POT Filed March 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ERNST Mz'iLL ATTORNEYS Aug. 21, 1928. 1,681,872

. E. MULLER MACHINE FOR CASTING STEREOTYPE PLATES HAVING MOLD ADAPTED TO BE PRESSED AGAINST THE OUTLET OPENING OF THE POT Filed March 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hg. a my. 4

mvzmoa Emu? MFLLER,

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 21, 1928 NI STATES ERNST MnLL R, or BERN, SWITZERLAND.

MACHINE FOR CASTING STEREOTYPE PLATES rEEss D AGAINST THE'O TLET HAVING AMOLD ADAPTED TO BE OPENING OF THE POT.

Application filed March 1, 1927, Serial No. 171,837, and in Germany March 1,, 1926.

My invention relates to improvements in driving devices for automatic casting machines for stereoplates of the type in which the casting box and metal pot, in the casting operation, are in such continuous communication that the contents of the pot replace the riser orhead which otherwise has "to be cast withthe plate. According to my invention a continuously rotating shaft drives a timing shaftthrough the agency of which the organ controlling the flow of metal outof the pot, such as a rotary valve, and the casting box itself, are periodically operated in the moving periods of the controlling organ and box, quickly, and, in the periods of rest, slowly.

By this arrangement all the necessary movements of control organ and casting box are obtained without the parts coming out of engagement with each other.

In the drawing representing my invention by way of example Fig. 1 is a vertical sec tion'through the driving gear, and Fig. 2 a horizontal section tlirouglrsaine.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the casting machine taken substantially on line A -B of Fig. 5.

"Fig. 4 is a. section taken substantially on line CD of Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view.

By means of a coupling-1, 2 the shaft-3 is coupled with a suitable motor. On the shaft 3 is fixed a worm 4 which drives the wornrwheel 5, which, together with the spurwheel 6 and onetoothed wheel 7, is loosely mounted on the shaft 8. The spurwheel' 6 enga es in atoothed segment}? fixed on the shaft 10 and adapted to turn the segments 11, 12, 13 and 1s. The larger segment 11 in certain positions the spur-wheel 15, and the smaller toothed segment 12, in certain other positions, engages the spur-wheel 16. The spur-wheels 15 and 16 are fastened on the shaft 17, which, by a partial rotation, closes the box and moves the closed box towards the outlet of the pot and also moves the box away from the pot and opens same. The toothed segment 1 L has two oppositely situated series of teeth, which, in certain an gular positions, engage'in the same spurwhcel 18 fastened on the shaft 8. Thisshaft serves, in a well known manner, to open and close the connection between the melting pot and the casting box. In the angular positions in which the spur-wheel 6 stands opposite the non-toothed part of the segment 9, the toothed segment 13 is turned tooth by tooth by the one-toothed wheel 7 the toothed segments 9, 11, 12 and 14 being tun ed at the same time. The shaft 10 serves therefore as timing shaft. Between each turning movement of the toothed segment 13, this segment is held in position by a paw 27. one end of which engages in the teeth of the segmentlS, while the opposite end bears against the circumference of the one-toothed wheel 7 in which a properly situated recess permits the pawl to spring over a tooth when the segment 13 is being moved.

In order to assure that the shaft 8, by which the controlling organ for the molten metal is operated, after the drive of the gear by the toothed segment 14 and spurwheel 18 has stopped, is kept in the proper position, a Geneva stop 19 is provided which operates in such a way in conjunction with a d sc 20 on the shaft 10 that the shaft 8 is prevented from turning by the circumference of the disc 20, until, by the operation of the onetoothed wheel 7 and segment 13. toothed parts of the segment 14 again come into engagement with the spur-wheel 18, in which position recesses 21 and 22 of the disc 20 permit the stop-disc 19 to turn.

A similar stop-disc is fastened on the shaft 17, which, as soon as the casting box is closed and pressed against the outlet of the pot. is prevented from turning further by a disc 2i on the shaft 10. This disc-24t has also cut out portions 25, 26 which enable the disc 23 and shaft 17 to turn further, when toothed parts of the toothed segments 11 and 12 again come into engagement with the spur-wheels 15,16.

In the drawing Figs. 3, f and 5 the melting pot is indicated by reference character a; in the bottom of this pot-is the means for opening and closing the outlet 0 of the pot, which in this instance consists of a long valve Z) which is opened and closed by the arm d on the end of the valve, and connecting rod 6 which is attached at one end to said arm (Z and at its other end to a. similar arm f mounted on the shaft 8.

The casting box consist-s as usual of a core 9 and a bed 71-; in order to open and close this casting box the bed ]i is lowered and raised by the cranks 2' which through the agency of the connecting rods move the bed h in the guiding frame Z; for the purpose of pressing the casting box against the outlet of the pot a the frame Z is pivoted at m to a fixed frame and is seated on cranks n which have just sufiicient eccentricity to raise the frame Z, the short distance necessary to press the casting box against the pot opening; the cranks a and a being tated by shaft 17.

The operation of the gear is as follows:-

By the shaft 17 the casting box, which, at the beginning, is open and moved away from the oulet of the pot, is first closed and moved towards the pot outlet, then kept in this position until the plate is cast and cooled, whereupon, by a further turning motion of the shaft 17, it is moved away from the pot outlet, then opened.

The part turn of the shaft 17, necessary for closing the box and moving it towards the pot opening, is obtained by the rotating spur-wheel (i which engages in the toothed part of the toothed segment 9. The turning movement of the toothed segment 9 is transmitted by the segment 11whose toothed part engages, at this moment, in the spur-wheel -to this wheel 15 and the shaft 17. The length of the toothed part of the segment 11 is so calculated that when the spur-wheel 15 arrives just opposite the nontoothcd part of the toothed segment 11, the shaft- 17 has made a half turn. The radius of the segment 11 and spur-wheel 15 are so calculated that the half turn of the shaft 1'7, and, consequently, the closing of the box, and its movement towards the pot outlet, take place quickly. The concave part of the disc 23 is then directed towards the circumference of the disc 2e and cannot therefore turnfurther, so that the casting box will be secured in position.

At this moment, or somewhat before, the

toothed part of the segment 1st will come into engagement with the spur-wheel 18, so that this wheel and the shaft 8 will be turned by the worm-wheel 5 through the agency of the spur-wheel, 6, segment 9, shaft 10 and segment 1%. By this turning of the shaft 8 the controlling organ for the molten metal is opened and the casting box filled. Until the contents of the box have solidified this connection between the molten metal in the pot and the cast plate should be maintained, and this is obtained by the fact that after I the partial turn ofv the shaft 8 the spur-wheel 6 will arrive opposite the non-toothed part of the segment 9. At the same time however the toothed part of the segment 13 is brought within reach of the one-toothed wheel i', so that for each further rotation of the worm wheel 5 the segment 13 will be advanced one tooth, Consequently, the shaft 10 with all parts on same will turn slowly until the toothed part of the segment 9 again comes into engagement with the spur-wheel 6, whereupon the shaft 10 will again be turned coupled from the motor.

for driving operations. Firstly, the second series of teeth on the segment 14; will turn the spur-wheel 18 and shaft 8, in order to close the connection between the pot and box. Then, by thetoothed segment12, spur-wheel 16 and shaft 17, the casting box will be moved away from the pot and opene l. As the spur-wheel 16 is larger in diameter than the spur-wheel 15, the opening of the box will take place slower than the closing, thus preventing. the matrix from being injured during its stripping from the cast plate. At this moment, the spur-wheel (5 will be opposite the middle part of the teeth on the segment 9, and, by an automatic device of any known construction, the shaft 3 will be un- All parts will then be in theproper position for repeating the whole operation when the motor is again coupled to the shaft 3.

lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Leters Patent of the United States is:

1. An automatic machine for casting stereo-plates, comprising in combination, a melting pot with outlet, an organ to open and close said outlet, a casting boxadapted to be opened and closed and to be pressed in the closed condition against the outlet of said pot, a continuouly rotating part, a timing shaft through the agency of which the organ to open and close the outlet of said pot and the casting box are operated, mechanical elements by which said continuously rotating part turns said time shaft quickly in the operating periods of said organ and said casting box, and slowly in the non-operating periods, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.

2. An automatic machine for casting stereo-plates, comprising in combination, a pot containing molten metal and having an outlet, an organ to control the flow of metal through said outlet, a casting box adapted to be opened and closed and to be pressed in the closed condition against the outlet of said pot, and a gear adapted to close, and press, said box against the opening of said pot more quickly than to open said box, substan tially as, and for the purpose, set forth.

3. An automatic machine for casting stereo-plates, comprising in combination, a

pot containing molten metal and having an outlet, an organ to control the flow of metal throughsaid outlet, a casting box adapted to be opened and closed, a continuously rotating part, a shaft in driving connection with said box, and a timing shaft adapted to connect said continuously rotating part with said shaft in different gear ratios and in prescribed intervals, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth. 7

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ERNST MULLER. 

